Will Billie Lourd Be In 'Star Wars: Episode 8' Alongside Carrie Fisher? The Film Has Already Finished Shooting

Christmas is meant to be the most wonderful time of the year, but 2016, being the terrible time that it is, has well and truly destroyed the festive season. As if the news that Carrie Fisher has died at the age of 60 wasn't bad enough, her mother Debbie Reynolds passed away only a day later. Fisher was incredibly close to her mother, who was also an actor, and the pair leave an impressive legacy behind. Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd also has the acting gene, playing Chanel No. 3 in Scream Queens, and appearing in Star Wars: The Force Awakens with her mother. But will Lourd be in Star Wars: Episode VIII alongside Carrie Fisher? The movie finished filming in the summer.

Back in March 2016, Slash Film reported that Lourd will indeed be returning for the next instalment of Star Wars, and that she's set to have a bigger role. Slash Film spoke to the actor at Paleyfest, and, although she kept tight-lipped about exact details, she told reporters, “I am working on Star Wars VIII but that’s all I can say." When pressed about whether she'd have more screen time than she did in the last movie, she replied, “Oh yeah, yeah,” and, as to whether she'd appear on screen with mother Fisher, she said, “Maaaaaybe.” To me, that sounds very promising.

In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Lourd made an incredibly brief appearance as Lieutenant Connix. Her role was seen as a nod to Fisher's Star Wars legacy, with a hairstyle resembling Princess Leia's infamous buns. It's exciting news that Lourd gets to expand her role in the next movie, especially since it's likely that Lieutenant Connix will be needed by General Leia in an important way.

Upon the news that her mother had passed away, Lourd's publicist released the following statement to Bustle,

It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning. She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.

Both Reynolds and Fisher will greatly missed, as they both had such an important impact on the world with their contributions to the entertainment industry. It's exciting news that Lourd will be in the next Star Wars, and that she probably has screen time alongside mother Fisher. As Lieutenant Connix, Lourd will continue her mother's legacy in the Star Wars universe, and there's something beautiful about that.